Bardez taluka yearning for cultural centre for years

The deputy chief minister, two ministers and three legislators from the ruling party may be representing the prominent Bardez taluka, but they appear helpless to set up a state-of-the-art government cultural centre in the taluka.

While Bardez has been struggling for a Kala/Ravindra Bhavan for the taluka for some time, many other talukas in the State have been blessed with such centres. And to add insult to injury, the State’s smallest taluka of Mormugao has even managed to get two such cultural centres within a distance of about 15 kms from each other.

While a number of projects have been kick-started in Bardez taluka ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, there seems to be no mention of the much-needed cultural centre for artistes of Bardez taluka.

“It is shameful that residents of Bardez still crave for a Kala Bhavan, though six of the seven MLAs in Bardez are from the ruling party. Residents of Bardez are lovers of art and culture, while Bardez has also produced renowned artistes. And yet, these BJP legislators have not been able to get Kala Bhavan for Bardez taluka. It is indeed a sorry state of affairs,” lamented artiste Madhukar Bhonsale.

The lone entertainment centre in Bardez taluka is the Hanuman Natyagraha at Mapusa and former chief minister Digambar Kamat had sanctioned Rs 30 lakh to renovate the Hanuman Natyagraha.

“However, tiatr lovers are unhappy with the renovation work. The sound system is not good and there is no proper circulation of air inside the theatre. As a result, people have no option but to go to the Kala Academy at Panjim to watch tiatr/dramas,” said a tiatrist, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In 2009, the State government had decided to acquire 8,538 sq mtrs of land from the Mapusa Comunidade near the Mapusa police station to construct a mini Kala Bhavan.

This mini Kala Bhavan was to be constructed by the Directorate of Art and Culure, but the project was abandoned following opposition from some quarters on grounds that the project would create traffic chaos in Mapusa town.

The earlier place selected by the Directorate of Art and culture was small and it would have created traffic problems. Deputy Chief Minister and Mapusa MLA Francis D’Souza is of the opinion that the area for the Kala Bhavan should be at least 30,000 sq mtrs. Such a vast area is not available in Mapusa,” Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) Chairman Sandeep Falari told Herald.

“The Town and Country Planning department is preparing a scheme called the ‘Bodgeswar Plaza’ for Mapusa. When this scheme is announced, about 30,000 sq mtrs of land will be made available near the Bodgeswar temple to construct a Kala Bhavan,” Falari added.

When contacted, Ratnapal Salkar, president of Mapusa Citizen Forum and member of Kala Bhavan Nirman Samiti, said they had recently met D’Souza to enquire about the status of the long-pending Kala Bhavan in Mapusa.

“We were told by D’Souza that a provision for the Kala Bhavan in Mapusa would be made in the ensuing budget. Once the funds for the proposed Kala Bhavan are allocated in budget, the process to construct the Kala Bhavan near Bogdewar temple will begin,” said Salker.